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Fantasy football starts/sits for SNF, expert advice for all Bills vs. Patriots Week 5 matchups on Sunday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Stefon Diggs, Rhamondre Stevenson, Khalil Shakir, more.
Welcome to our Sunday Night Football start/sit chart for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups chart for all players in the SNF game between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, Stefon Diggs and TreVeyon Henderson. Which Bills and Patriots players should you start or sit in Week 5?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 5, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 5, RotoBallers!
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Buffalo Bills Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating |
Game Matchup |
| James Cook, RB | Start | 116.3 | vs. NE |
| Josh Allen | Start | 113.2 | vs. NE |
| Keon Coleman, WR | Risky Start | 109.7 | vs. NE |
| Matt Prater | Risky Start | 109.6 | vs. NE |
| Khalil Shakir, WR | Risky Start | 108.5 | vs. NE |
| Dalton Kincaid, TE | Risky Start | 107.4 | vs. NE |
| Joshua Palmer, WR | Sit | 106.4 | vs. NE |
| Dawson Knox, TE | Sit | 100.7 | vs. NE |
| Curtis Samuel, WR | Sit | 100.6 | vs. NE |
| Elijah Moore, WR | Sit | 100.1 | vs. NE |
| Jackson Hawes, TE | Sit | 99 | vs. NE |
| Ty Johnson, RB | Sit | 98.1 | vs. NE |
| Ray Davis, RB | Sit | 96.1 | vs. NE |
| Buffalo Bills | Sit | 95.2 | vs. NE |
| Mitchell Trubisky | Sit | 93.7 | vs. NE |
Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir has been the definition of a boom-or-bust fantasy option through the first four weeks of the season, posting point totals of 9.4, 1.7, 12.5, and 15.4. His limited usage in the offense--typically fewer than six targets per game--makes him heavily touchdown dependent, which creates weekly volatility for fantasy managers.
While Shakir's big-play ability gives him upside, it's difficult to predict when those breakout games will come, making him far more valuable in best ball formats than in standard redraft leagues.
Heading into Week 5, Shakir should be treated as a mid-level flex option, ranking behind more reliable volume-based receivers such as Wan'Dale Robinson and Ladd McConkey. Managers seeking a safe floor may want to look elsewhere, but those chasing upside can still take the gamble.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid continues to separate himself as the primary pass-catching option at the position, despite splitting snaps evenly in the offense. After seeing just two targets against the Saints in Week 4, Kincaid is a strong candidate to bounce back to his usual workload of around six targets per game.
The third-year tight end has been a consistent playmaker, finding the end zone in three of four contests and ranking third on the team with 179 receiving yards on 14 catches. Most importantly, Kincaid leads Buffalo in touchdown receptions, solidifying his chemistry with Josh Allen in scoring situations.
Fantasy managers should continue to view Kincaid as a dependable mid-tier TE1 who offers weekly touchdown upside, especially in a Bills offense that thrives on utilizing him in the red zone.
New England Patriots Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating |
Game Matchup |
| Parker Romo | Start | 115.2 | @ BUF |
| Drake Maye | Start | 110.5 | @ BUF |
| Hunter Henry, TE | Risky Start | 108.5 | @ BUF |
| Stefon Diggs, WR | Risky Start | 106.8 | @ BUF |
| Rhamondre Stevenson, RB | Risky Start | 106.3 | @ BUF |
| TreVeyon Henderson, RB | Risky Start | 105.5 | @ BUF |
| Kayshon Boutte, WR | Risky Start | 103.6 | @ BUF |
| DeMario Douglas, WR | Sit | 99.7 | @ BUF |
| Antonio Gibson, RB | Sit | 99.4 | @ BUF |
| Austin Hooper, TE | Sit | 98.9 | @ BUF |
| Mack Hollins, WR | Sit | 97.9 | @ BUF |
| Kyle Williams, WR | Sit | 94.4 | @ BUF |
| Andy Borregales | Sit | 94.1 | @ BUF |
| Jack Westover, RB | Sit | 92.3 | @ BUF |
| New England Patriots | Sit | 82.6 | @ BUF |
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Patriots
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson has not yet emerged as the team's lead back, and therefore, he's tough to trust as a fantasy starter heading into Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. Henderson is the future lead back in New England, but through the first four games of his career, the backfield has belonged to Rhamondre Stevenson.
During that span, Henderson has a modest 36.6 percent snap share, 97 rushing yards, 87 receiving yards, and one touchdown. He's averaging just 3.7 yards per carry but still works his way onto the field thanks to his draft capital, his pass-blocking skills, and Stevenson's fumbling issues. With that said, Stevenson projects as the lead running back once again in Week 5, leaving Henderson in the backup role and therefore largely dependent on finding the end zone.
The Bills have allowed the ninth-most rushing yards, fourth-most rushing touchdowns, and 13th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, leaving Henderson as a low-end RB3/flex who can be benched in leagues with 10 or fewer teams.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Patriots
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is back under consideration for a starting lineup spot in fantasy football ahead of his Week 5 clash with the Buffalo Bills. After an underwhelming start to the season, Diggs exploded with six catches and 101 yards against the Panthers last week.
The matchup gets a little tougher this week, as the Bills have allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards and 10th-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025.
Nevertheless, the veteran receiver is coming off a big game and has earned a commitment from quarterback Drake Maye, who vowed to throw more passes his way. Plus, we can't ignore the negative game script and revenge game narrative this weekend. Diggs is a worthwhile WR3/flex option.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Hunter Henry, Dalton Kincaid, Stefon Diggs, Joshua Palmer, Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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